Sweet as Honey (Aster Valley 2)

We talked about it a little more before Tiller and Mikey disappeared back to their bedroom, leaving me blessedly alone with Truman. I nudged him out the back door and across the yard to where Tiller had installed a giant hammock between two trees at the edge of the woods.

It was a glorious spring day with bright, clear sun sparking off the new green growth in the grass and nearby aspen trees.

Once we were settled together on the hammock, I asked him how it had gone with Barney.

“He said he’d only ever wanted what was best for me but that he’d leave us alone. It was kind of sad.”

I agreed. But it was also a relief to hear the older man had finally quit the field.

“He’s coming to terms with the reality of my feelings,” Truman continued. “I guess. And I really wanted to find a way to stay friends with him. It was sweet of him to make me those peanut butter cookies yesterday, even if he did have to make a point of gloating about how all the ingredients were organic and plant-based. It was a shame you weren’t there to see him brag when he dropped them off, as if he’s the only one who can make a decent peanut butter cookie.”

Listening to the lengths the man had gone to in order to impress Truman almost made me pity him.

Almost.

“I’m ready to tell Mikey and Pim about the hit-and-run,” Truman said, changing the subject. “It’s going to come out anyway once the Stanners have to answer to state law enforcement, and I don’t want them to hear about it from anyone else. They’re going to meet me for breakfast tomorrow at the diner.”

I ran my hand up and down his back while he changed the subject back to the mala beads.

“Who could have put them in there?”

“Anyone, really,” I admitted. “Tiller and Mikey have had tons of people over, and before that, the bags were still on my bike at the Chop Shop.”

“Ugh, you’re right. You haven’t searched through them since then? You didn’t look inside them after you retrieved them from the shop?”

I shook my head. “I thought the only things in there were a few snacks and an extra jacket. I took my backpack out when we walked into town that first day. Remember?”

Truman sighed. “Yeah.”

Before we could talk it through, Tiller poked his head out the back door.

“You, me, 5:00 a.m. tomorrow. Road trip. Be ready,” he shouted across the yard with all the cocksure attitude of a pro baller.

“Like hell,” I hollered back. I had plans to be naked in bed with Truman Sweet at five tomorrow morning. Besides, if he was going to finally tell Mikey and Pim about the hit-and-run, I wanted to be there for support.

“First job of the COO. We got a lead on a snow gun.”

My brain couldn’t follow his words or logic. “A… snow gun?” I murmured.

Truman laughed and shrugged. “Don’t ask me. I’m a plant man.”

Tiller kept shouting rather than step his precious bare feet off the deck. “It’s the thing resorts use to make snow. They’re not cheap, and there are a couple used ones for sale in Breckenridge. The movie people want us to be able to make snow for the film, and I’d prefer not having to pay full price for them before we know what the hell we’re doing.”

I hesitated, trying to figure out how to turn down his first request of me in my new role. Truman grabbed my cheek with one hand and angled my face to meet his eyes. “It’s fine,” he said with a smile. “I can handle the breakfast on my own.”

“I know you can. Doesn’t mean you should have to,” I said softly.

“But I want to. And I want you to start your job here so you’ll be locked into staying here in Aster Valley,” he teased. “Besides, now that Deputy Stone has all the information about the Stanners and the fire investigators know they don’t have an alibi, maybe we can forget about all of this stressful stuff for the rest of the day.”

“Mm-hm.” I leaned down and kissed him softly, taking my sweet time tasting his mouth.

“Dude!” Tiller called from the deck. “For real?”

“You’re one to talk, asshole,” I called, running fingers through Truman’s curly hair where his head rested on my chest. “Fine. But those things probably not small enough to fit in the SUV either. We’re going to need a trailer.”

His voice sounded as excited as a little kid on Christmas. “New snow machines and a big-ass new trailer? Don’t mind if I do.”

I laughed when I should have said no to the whole damned thing. But I didn’t.

And it turned out to be a dangerous mistake.

24

Truman

That night back at my place, I decided to attempt to tick off several more items from my sexual wish list.